Art in the Barn: Storytime and hands-on art project for Pre-schoolers is a new drop-in workshop for preschoolers at Walt Whitman Birthplace. Taught by Lena Massari Sawyer, former Museum Educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Come and join us every week as we read various stories including the award-winning Caldecott books. Learn about artists of the past and create your own artwork.
February 24, 2024
Travel with us to Africa and learn about African Masks!
Class will end with the book โMeโฆ Janeโ by Patrick McDonnell about Jane Goodall, the English Anthropologist and โCan you Spot the Leopardโ by C Stelzig. Bring your favorite stuff animal to class!
Members: $13 Non Members: $15
(Per workshop, tickets can be purchased at the door)
See Winter Calendar below.
Picture Books are a crucial tool for developing a childโs literacy and language skills in their early years. They help build self-confidence as the child learns to read through visual thinking. The children will read a book, then tell their own story through collage and other multimedia materials. They will look at the different elements of art such as changing perspective, scale, as well as multiple points of view through drawing and using collage materials. In addition, each child will be given a small plastic magnifying glass to explore a tinker box filled with objects from nature such as seashells, rocks, etc.
Lena Massari Sawyer has been an educator for over 25 years. She taught Art History and Studio Art to children for over two decades at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While at the Met, she specialized in early childhood education, creating and teaching numerous art history and childrenโs literature classes. Lena has been a long-time resident of Long Island. She teaches art history, painting and other multimedia classes both at the Birthplace at the Little Studio in Northport Village. Lena holds a bachelorโs degree in art history and performed her graduate studies in Museum Education at New York University.
Art in the Barn Winter Calendar
February 3rd โ Black History Month
A look at Royal Art of Benin from Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a reading of the 2011 Caldecott winner: โDave the Potter Artist, Poet, Slaveโ by Laban C. Hill and Bryan Collier. Project: drawing and clay.
February 10th โ Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Us!
Learn about Chinese scroll painting, paint will calligraphy brushes and read about your own personal Chinese zodiac in โThe Legend of the Chinese Dragonโ by M. Sellier, C. Louis, W. Fei.
February 17th โ Come and explore Romare Beardenโs groundbreaking collage celebrating African American Urban life in โThe Blockโ
A multimedia art project will follow and Barney Saltzberg fun book โBeautiful OOPSโ will be enjoyed.
February 24th โ Travel with us to Africa and learn about African Masks!
Class will end with the book โMeโฆ Janeโ by Patrick McDonnell about Jane Goodall, the English Anthropologist and โCan you Spot the Leopardโ by C Stelzig. Bring your favorite stuff animal to class!
March 2nd โ Womenโs History Month
Learn how to paint large flowers like Georgia Oโ Keefe did. โMy Name is Georgia: A Portraitโ by Jeanette Winter will be read.
March 9th โ Explore the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama
We will be painting and reading โFrom Here to Infinityโ by S. Suzuki and E. Weinstein.
March 16th โ Come celebrate the color GREEN with us for Saint Patrickโs Day!
We will be reading the book โGreenโ by Laura V. Seeger and exploring Henri Rousseauโs very green Jungle paintings. A magical surprise will follow.
March 23rd โ Experience the world of Alma Thomas Paintings
Shapes, color and movement in art will be discussed. โI Spy Shapesโ in Art by Lucy Micklethwait will be explored.
March 30th โ No class